Araiza Acum-Santos led the way with 15 kills as the St. Lawrence University volleyball team battled Vassar in a marathon five-set match, falling just short 3-2 (23-25, 25-22, 25-17, 19-25, 12-15).

The loss eliminates St. Lawrence from Liberty League tournament contention.

"We let the first set get away from us and that proved to be costly," said Saints head coach Shelly Roiger. "I'm happy with the team's effort and focus, but we need to execute just a touch better."

The opening set was a tight one, with both sides trading points. The Saints held a 20-16 lead late, but four kills from Maura McAusland helped the Brewers surge ahead 24-22 to take the set.

Vassar, who is ranked sixth in the most recent region rankings, jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second, but the Saints stayed composed. Trailing 20-18, St. Lawrence rallied behind kills from Sofia Velasquez, Latam, and Bridget Gammons, going on a five-point run to win the set and even the match.

The third set followed a similar pattern, as the Saints again trailed early before using strong serving to take control. A 20-15 lead gave them breathing room, and Kalina Natcheva sealed the set with a kill to put St. Lawrence ahead 2-1.

Service struggles plagued both teams in the fourth, but the Saints suffered most, falling behind 19-13. Adeline Riesenberger notched three kills in a late push, but Vassar held on to win 25-19 and force a fifth set.

In their only five-set match at home this season, the Saints couldn't find the lead, dropping the decisive frame. With the loss, St. Lawrence moves to 13-10 overall and 2-6 in Liberty League play. The five-setter is the Saints' third five-set defeat at the hands of Vassar in the last four years. 



The difference came from the service line, where the Saints recorded 18 service errors to Vassar's seven. Still, St. Lawrence tallied eight service aces on the night.

Next up, the Saints head downstate for a match against SUNY Cobleskill on Friday, October 31, before the SUNY Poly Triad on Saturday, November 1 before returning north to wrap up the 2025 season against SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam.